Baseball's Top Prospects for 2010
Remember: This list evolves and changes daily.
RHP, WAS
One of the best college pitchers of any class in memory, righthander Stephen Strasburg mixes a high-90's (and low-100's) fastball with a highly-effective slider/curve for a devastating 1-2 punch. He wasn't a strikeout pitcher early in his college career, instead focusing on pitching to contact, but his K rate has been rising steadily since 2007. A few experts are concerned about his delivery, but it's important to take that with a big grain of salt: there was also a choir united about Mark Prior's 'perfect' mechanics, once, too.
More Scouting Book Info on Stephen Strasburg >
1
OF, ATL
Atlanta fans should finally be able to 'Say Heyward' this year, as their prize prospect looks as close to ready as a player can be for big-league baseball. A real treasure for the Braves as 2007's 14th overall pick, the left-handed Heyward has been lauded for his developing plate discipline and 30-homer power potential for a couple of years now.
More Scouting Book Info on Jason Heyward >
2
OF, FLA
A high-school outfielder drafted 76th overall in 2007, Stanton went on to destroy high A Jupiter in 2009, raking at a .294/.390/.578 clip while adding 12 home runs in 50 games. His average suffered a bit after a promotion to AA Jacksonville, but his power remained (16 more home runs and a .455 slugging average.) A talented overall player with the tools to fit in at almost any position, he's being worked in right field at present, but could be moved almost anywhere else in the future. His plus power from the right side is aided by studious preparation and discipline beyond his young age. In the field, he has a plus arm, great range and a winning attitude. A rising star in Florida, don't be surprised to see him patrolling center or right for the Marlins as soon as late 2010.
More Scouting Book Info on Mike Stanton >
3
RHP, TEX
An eighteen year old Dominican whose fastball has been clocked at 98mph, Feliz was a sleeper deep in the Atlanta system, scooped by Texas as part of the prospect package that sent Mark Teixeira to the Braves. He's still raw, but when he's wild he's effectively wild.
More Scouting Book Info on Neftali Feliz >
4
OF, TB
'Carl Crawford with better plate discipline.' That's what some scouts are saying about Tampa's top outfield prospect, who should arrive in MLB in 2010.
More Scouting Book Info on Desmond Jennings >
5
C, SF
Not much power but a team leader with a lot of batting smarts. That's the book on Gerald 'Buster' Posey. He's got baseball grit and hustle out the yin-yang, though, so in a draft class that was rich with good catchers, he was both the first off the board and one of the most likely to see early MLB action.
More Scouting Book Info on Buster Posey >
6
LHP, BAL
One of the best left-handers available in the 2008 draft, Matusz is an experienced and clever strongman with four quality pitches. His fastball isn't overpowering, though, and his numbers showed some decline last season, so he won't be having a big impact on Baltimore's rotation anytime soon. It'll be fun watching his use his guile along with his stuff to go after better pro hitters, though. As a polished college candidate, his secondary pitches are very advanced for a prospect, and he should be one of the next Baltimore pitchers to break into MLB, probably this season.
More Scouting Book Info on Brian Matusz >
7
LHP, TEX
An undrafted free agent signing from Venezuela, teenage lefty Martin Perez might be one of the Rangers' best-kept secrets. He's not close to MLB yet, but Perez is already a shining star worth following. Making 15 short starts (only 62 innings) at Rookie-level Spokane, Martin went 1-2 with a 3.65 ERA and a 53:28 ratio of strikeouts to walks. The skinny 17 year old, who's breaking down doors with a plus 92mph fastball and a polished curve, turns into a wiry 18 year old this spring, and he should graduate from dazzling rookie league hitters to stumping A-ball hitters in Hickory. He's someone to keep a special eye on over the next few years.
More Scouting Book Info on Martin Perez >
8
OF, SEA
A scout's wet dream, Dustin Ackley was one of the best college hitters of the 2009 class, if not the absolute best available bat. After destroying ACC pitching as a freshman, he was taken second overall by the Seattle Mariners. While his speed and toolset might bump him up to the outfield, he's also competent at third as well as first base, a position he played in college while recovering from surgery for a full season, and the Mariners have recently experimented with playing him at second base in order to balance out their outfield-heavy farm. His defense won't make much difference, though, as it's his combination of plus contact and patience that's worth drooling about. He could replace Ichiro as Seattle's on-base machine in a few years.
More Scouting Book Info on Dustin Ackley >
9
1B, TEX
Smoak is part of a big class of mashing corner infielders (along with Alonso, LaPorta and Alvarez) pushing to break into the majors in the next year or two.
More Scouting Book Info on Justin Smoak >
10
1. Stephen Strasburg
2. Jason Heyward
3. Mike Stanton
4. Neftali Feliz
5. Desmond Jennings
6. Buster Posey
7. Brian Matusz
9. Dustin Ackley
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